Destined to Be
by mirageofthedesert
Summary: A young, adventurous lady (you) working as a janitor at Jameson Marine gets the chance of a lifetime when she meets the long lost brother of Nathan Drake, the famous adventurer, and gets an invitation to join their dangerous mission to save his life, risking her own. This is a Sam Drake x Reader fanfic.
1. Chapter 1

**_From the popular pages of tumblr to the FanFiction website. A friend of mine recommended me to post my story here. I'm really excited, but also nervous to show you guys my writing._**

 ** _Now enjoy!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Back from the dead**

"So, Y/N, what is your biggest dream?"  
"I'll be an adventurer!"  
"Oh wow my dear. That is a wonderful dream. Are you after something big?"  
"I want to explore the world! See beautiful places and find treasure!"  
"Ah, so you want to be a pirate?"  
"No miss Alister! It's not called pirate. It's called a treasure hunter!"  
"Right, well maybe you should focus on something you can actually achieve."

With the words of your kindergarten teacher in the back of your head you started to sweep the floor at work. It was a cold night, but you felt that your head was all kind of sweaty. So here you were, in your young thirties, living in a small single apartment in Brooklyn and still dreaming of your so-called treasure hunting life.

Or taste a little piece of it at least.

You did get closer to your dream though. Through one of your friends you got this janitor job at Jameson Marine. While you worked there you've met Nathan Drake, a legend among the treasure hunters. You thought that maybe this was your chance! Going on an adventure with the amazing Nathan Drake!

Unfortunately your spark of luck disappeared when he told you he was retired and only looking for a place to settle with his wife, Elena Fisher. Fortunately you became best friends over the years. You told him about your life long dream and he told you stories of his adventures. It was like listening to your grandfather's stories of the war, but then so much more interesting.

Then one day, things got even more interesting.

"Hey Y/N!" Nathan said while entering the hallway that you were currently cleaning. Or apparently you were daydreaming in your overalls with apron and a towel knitted around your head.  
"Oh my gosh!" you exclaimed while dropping your broom on the wooden floor.

"I'm so sorry Nathan. I was-"  
"Far and away?"  
You sighed. "Please don't tell Jameson about this."  
"Roger that." Nathan laughed, nodded and walked to his office.  
"I'm going to finish some final paper work," he said while opening the door. "Can you lock the front door? I don't need anymore extra files."  
"Got it!" you said and you put your broom against the wall.

You grabbed the keys from the front desk and walked to the front door when you saw someone outside. You couldn't make him/her out clearly, but his/her cigarette was lit up in the darkness. While your mind was telling you to ignore this most likely dangerous person, your curiosity told you otherwise. Then: a knock.  
YOU were startled and now the person was clear as day in the front window. He was tall with brownish hair and a surprised facial expression. He probably wasn't expecting a girl like you to be here. He was older then you, maybe a few years. Still he was kind of handsome.

"I'm sorry sir, I just wanted to close up shop," you said with a friendly smile.  
"Does Nathan Drake work here?" he asked you.  
The man looked serious and desperate. You did not really trust him though. "Who's asking?" you said while crossing your arms.  
He sighed, looked down and said: "His brother."  
You started laughing out loud and grabbed the broom slowly as some kind of weapon.  
"Oh right and I'm Cinderella," you said.  
"You sure look like one with the broom and all," he answered with the smirk on his face. "Ever thought about heels made out of glass?"  
You looked away, slightly embarrassed, but you also tried not to blush.  
"Anyway, his brother died fifteen years ago. You sure look good for a god damn skeleton!"  
"Wow, so I do look good huh?"  
That sure annoyed you. You grabbed the broom tighter and protected yourself. "Easy there tiger. Don't want it to change into a pumpkin." He grinned and started hanging against the door. Was he fooling himself or you?

While standing there for like a minute he suddenly sighed.  
"Look, it's kind of important that I meet him today."  
"Meeting for what?" you asked while pointing the broomstick at his face.  
"I'm in big trouble."  
There was that serious and desperate look on his face again.  
"I kind of owe somebody pretty big and I need Nathan's help."  
You locked eyes with him. You weren't sure what gave you the hint, but he sure as hell wasn't lying. Still he made you nervous and you started to look down.  
"Okay, let's just say that I believe you," you said while slowly putting the broom down again. "Then let me ask you this. What is Nathan Drake's real last name?"  
You asking the very important question shocked him, as if this wasn't supposed to get out in the open, but he relaxed quickly and finally said: "Morgan. His name was Nathan Morgan."  
Surprised you looked up. Only he would know. Only Sam would know! You took a step forward.  
"Sam?"  
He nodded and sighed.  
"Finally," you heard him whisper.  
You reached the doorknob and let him in.  
"Thanks," he said and walked further into the hallway.  
"Wait!" you said.  
He turned around.  
"What is it?"  
"So your name… your name is Sam Morgan then. Right?" You stuttered to find the words and looked down. You felt embarrassed that you did not recognize him the first time. But hey! He was the one waking up from the dead!  
He chuckled and he gently grabbed your hand.  
"Yes, that's right. Cinderella's real name however…?"  
You grinned. "Call me Y/N," You said with the same friendly smile you always have.  
"Well then Y/N," Sam said, while giving the top of your hand a kiss. "Pleasure to meet you." You tried not to blush again. He let go of your hand and walked to the office door.

"Hey Sam?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Please knock. He doesn't like to be disturbed during closing time."

He smiled. "Gotcha."

* * *

Hope you guys liked it so far! :-)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Sorpresa Amico Mio**

 _Three days later. Instead of binge watching your favorite series (again) at home, you were invited by Nate to go on an adventure with Sully, Sam and him to the Rossi Estate in Italy. You were very nervous, but also very excited. After Nathan spoke to his brother he called you. You asked if he was nuts, if this was all a dream and if he could slap you out of it._

 _"I'm god damn serious (Y/N). Well? Are you in or out?"_

 _Of course you said yes. He filled you in on the mission, that you had to dress up nicely and that you were going to accompany his life long partner Sullivan to the auction._

 _"Why am I not going with you and Sam? I can climb if that's a problem."_  
 _"Just… go with him. Besides, I did do some research and you seem to be pretty good in talking your way out of things."_  
 _"Who told you that? Anyway what about-"_  
 _"You'll be fine! I'll meet you there."_

* * *

"Mister Sullivan, I don't think this is a good idea," you said while walking into the main hall of the Rossi Estate. You crossed arms with Sully, who was really good in dressing up like a millionaire. He moved you upstairs to an empty room.  
"Please darling," he said while letting go of your arm. "Call me Sully will ya?" You nodded.  
"Nate was awfully sceptic about me not joining them on their mission. He really wanted me to accompany you. It's like he doesn't trust me to do the job right."  
Sully looked out of the windows and chuckled.  
"Don't worry, it's not about you," he said while getting a cigar out of an open case that was just sitting there on a little table. "It's about Sam."  
"Sam? I don't understand."  
Sully sat down on a fancy couch and turned the light next to him on and off. The signal that we were here and that the gentlemen could climb up the estate.  
"He doesn't trust anyone on this job, only his brother," Sully said while lighting up his cigar. "Hell I even had trouble getting into this and help them out."  
"I see…" It made sense. He was in prison for fifteen years. You couldn't trust anyone there. Only yourself. You felt a little down and tried to walk it out. You passed a mirror and checked yourself. The light blue dress you whore looked amazing on you and with the accessories you bought for this special occasion, you absolutely looked like a dream. Apparently Sully saw you staring at your reflection for too long and chuckled.  
"Yeah, I think Sam will be fine with you working on the case."  
You blushed a little bit, thinking back of the abrupt meeting with the tall, handsome guy at Jameson Marine. There you were just a janitor. Now, you were an adventurer. Or adventurer-intern. Whatever.

Suddenly you heard talking and laughing outside.  
"Alright that's our cue," Sully said. "Go make a big entrance kiddo, but do it after mine." He winked at you and turned the light off.  
You looked around the room and found a dark space around two bookshelves. You ran over there and waited until Nathan and Sam arrived. When they entered the room you thought about your opening line.

"Sully?" Nathan said while walking towards him.  
"Know what I love about partying with a bunch of crooks?" Sully asked.  
"What's that?"  
Sully turned the light on. "Nobody cares if you smoke indoors."  
You grinned. Damn, he was good.  
"It's been a while," Nate said while giving his life long partner a hug.  
"Too long boyo," Sully answered. Then you both looked at Sam. He seemed nervous just like you. You were wondering why.  
"You remember my dead brother right?" Nate said while walking towards him. Sam shook Sully's hand. You studied Sam while they were talking. He sure looked good in a tuxedo. You felt your heart skip a beat and were worried that you started to actually get attracted to-  
"Am I missing something here Sully?" Nate asked. Oh shit. That was your cue. You took a deep breath and with confidence you walked out of the darkness.  
"You mean someone?" you said smoothly. Nate and Sully smiled while Sam was ultimately surprised to see you. With his mouth wide open his eyes went up and down your body. You felt a little nervous, but didn't show it.  
"What… are you doing… ?" Sam asked while trying to find his words. You felt amazing until you guys met each other sight again and you felt your face turn red.  
"Hey prince charming," Nate said while snapping his fingers in front of Sam his face. "She's here to help us out."  
Sam nodded slowly, blinked and was back to his cocky personality. He walked towards you.  
"Well, well… looks like Cinderella found her dress after all," he said. "Your fairy godmother did a great job."  
"Funny you say that, mister prince Charming," you said. He got really close to you and you felt awfully little compared to his height. You looked up. "The tuxedo is a nice choice as well. You look like four hundred million bucks alright."  
He chuckled while putting his hand around his neck. "Yeah, my brother said the same thing-"  
Sully cleared his throat to get you and Sam back on track. "When you two love birds are done, let's get down to business?" he said.  
You were back in reality and casually walked past Sam. You felt that you touched each other's fingers while walking towards Sully.  
"So, where's the cross?" you asked.  
Sully sighed. "Yeah… about that…"

You followed Sully, Sam and Nate out of the room to the end of a balcony. You looked down to the auction tables and saw the cross on a pedestal.  
"That's Avery's cross," Nate said. Sully nodded.  
"They brought it out of storage just before you guys got here."  
"Wait, but that means that-" you said. "They changed the lot order," Sam finished your sentence. You chuckled that you guys were both thinking the same thing, but his face was rather serious then happy. He was thinking, you could see it. "Took a whole pile of cash to make that happen," Sully said.  
"How long before they start the bidding?" you asked.  
"Ten, fifteen minutes tops."  
"Well, there's gotta be some way we can grab it," Nate said. "We just need a diversion."  
"Like?" Sully asked.  
"Like… like I don't know, but there's gotta be something."  
You thought about it too, when suddenly you heard Sam laughing. You looked up when he turned around.  
"What if they don't see us?" he asked. Nate and Sully looked just as confused as you. He sighed.  
"Jesus, you guys act like you've never spent time in prison."  
"Uhm, I didn't-" you said, but Sully put his finger up. "Not important right now," he told you. You kept your mouth shut.  
"If you want something dirty done then you wait-" Sam said. "For lights out!" the three men spoke together. You smiled a little just by seeing them come up with a back up plan. Nate was going to the electrical panel to kill the lights. While you were looking at the map of the estate a waitress disturbed your group. "Scusate, signori y signora," she said and was holding a plate of appetizers. "Antipasti?" "No grazi," you answered in your best Italian and looked back at the map. In the corner of your eye you saw Sam grabbing something from the plate and looking flirty at the waitress. "Hi," he said. "How are you?" She smiled and turned around. "Ciao," she said and walked away. You felt a little jealous and seeing him staring at her ass didn't make it better.  
"Guys? I feel a little nauseous, so can you tell me what my part is going to be?" you asked while putting your hand against your temple. "I need some air."  
"Oh yeah of course, you'll be with Sully on this one again okay?" Nate told you. "Again? Why can't I go out with you guys and join the fun part?"  
"Darling, I am the fun part," Sully said. You made a you-know-what-i-mean face. "You guys head down to the floor, keep an eye on the prize, okay?" Nate said. He wasn't done talking, but for you it was more then enough information. You turned around and excused yourself.

The balcony outside got an amazing view and when you walked past a waiter you grabbed a glass of red wine for yourself. While slowly taking a few sips you looked out over the estate garden and the driveway. Thinking about Sam. Why were you suddenly so jealous of him flirting with other girls? You met the guy three days ago! And it looked like he was not interested with you being here, working with him. You sighed and took another sip when suddenly you heard familiar footsteps behind you.  
"Hey (Y/N)," Sam said. You were startled again and turned around.  
"Oh it's you," you said while putting your thoughts behind you and smiled. "All set?"  
He nodded, but did not walk away yet. Instead he stood next to you on the balcony.  
"Tell me something," he said. "Why are you here? I thought Cinderella was forbidden to go to the ball."  
You weren't sure if that was a flirty joke or that he meant it, but you answered his question anyway.  
"Well, like you said my fairy godmother-"  
"You know what I mean smartie."  
"Nate didn't tell you I was coming with you guys huh?"  
He shook his head. You sighed and looked away.  
"Look, this is my dream Sam. I always wanted to see the world, find extraordinary places and find amazing treasures… I thought by accepting Nate's invitation it would be okay."  
You locked eyes with him. "I thought it would be okay with you."  
You saw him thinking, his brain working hard to say something. Then he broke the spell and chuckled.  
"I'm sorry, I just thought you were only the janitor of that place he works at," he said. You were getting angry. You were done with this.  
"Cut the bullshit Sam!" you exclaimed. That surprised him. "If something is on your mind than say it! Say it to my face! I can't take it that people are hiding stuff from me."  
You felt his hand put on yours. "(Y/N)," he said and looked you in the eyes with the same serious and desperate look you met him. "It's complicated."  
"That's what everybody says," you said. "What is it? Is it this job? The plan? Is it…" Then it suddenly hit you.  
"Is it me?"  
He wanted to say it. You knew what he was going to say. You said it instead of him.  
"You think I'm just a janitor with no power, no knowledge, no nothing. A princess that needs to be helped and rescued all the time. Well sorpresa amico mio." You got closer to him. You didn't care you almost could touch his face. "I'm not that kind of girl."

You walked away, but not before he pulled you close. He chuckled.  
"I don't know you that well as Nate, but I do know one thing." He said.  
"What's that?" you asked.  
"You sure know how to keep things interesting," he whispered.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Guards up

The plan was simple. Sam was going to find himself a waiter outfit, Nate was on his way to the power room to cut it and Sully and you? You were going to sit tight, watch the St Dismas cross and enjoy the party, but for how long?

Sam and Nate got hold of a keycard that let to one of the rooms in the estate. While they were talking the plan over, you were standing against one of the many marble columns in the main hall. You looked at the two men, all serious and ready for action. You were wondering if everything indeed was going to be fine. You almost didn't notice that Sam was looking your way. You felt caught when he smirked and winked at you and you, totally off guard, just waved a little. He chuckled, nodded at his brother and they entered the room together.

"Here."

Sully appeared behind you and it startled you. He held out an open palm with an earpiece. You took it and pressed it in your right ear.  
"Thanks Sully," you said and together you walked to the ballroom floor where almost every guest of the party was talking and laughing. You felt so out of place, even with you being perfectly dressed up.

"Hey kid, let's get to the chase," Sully said. "I saw the way you were looking at Sam."

You were surprised he noticed, but of course. He was the experienced playboy. He took a cigar out of his pocket and lit it. He must have taken one from the empty room you were in before.

"What about it?" you said while not making eye contact. "He looks good in a tux. Is that a crime?"

Sully laughed. "Darling, a lady who suddenly needs to get some fresh air after her pray flirts with another…"

You raised your eyebrows. "I told you guys. I was just nauseous."

"Right."

A few minutes passed and you heard a cracking noise in your earpiece.

"Okay guys, I found my waiter guy. See you in a bit," Sam said.

"Alright, good work!" you said a little too enthusiastic.

It made Sully look at you suspiciously, but then grinned.

"You know, Sam did say something odd about you while you were gone."

That got your attention.

"What? What did he say?"

Sully laughed again. Damn. It was a trick. You sighed and finally wanted to give in, but then a woman appeared behind Sully.

"Hands in the air," she said.

Sully slowly turned around. You peeked behind his left shoulder to see who it was. A young woman, mid-thirties maybe, dressed in a red satin shirt and black high waist pants. She did not come from the United States or Italy, you could tell.

"Hello Victor," she said with drink in hand.

"Hello Nadine," Sully greeted her. "Pleasure seeing you again."

"Only this time-" Nadine pointed a finger gun at Sully. "I got the drop on you."

Sully chuckled. "Well I should be glad that's not a real gun."

Nadine then spotted you.

"I don't believe we have met?" She held out her hand. "Nadine Ross."  
"(Y/N)(L/N)," you answered while accepting her firm handshake.  
"You are accompanying mister Sullivan, (Y/N)?" Nadine asked you.  
You nodded. She smiled.  
"Well then, this is going to be a wonderful evening."  
You smiled back, but looked at Sully to see what he was thinking. He had his poker face on, so or she was okay to talk to or there was definitely something wrong here.

After a while, Sully and Nadine had the most to talk about. You got a glass of wine from the bar, while Sully got scotch on the rocks. While they were catching up you looked around the room. No sign of Sam the waiter yet. What were the brothers up too? You almost got bored and wanted to finish your drink when Nadine asked a question that you were curious about.

"Hey, when am I finally going to meet that partner of yours? Drake?"

"Well, that's ex-partner. No, I've been flying solo for a while now. Drake's out."

"And sometimes you're flying with the young lady?"

You knew she was talking about you. You moved closer to Sully and nodded. Now it was your time to shine.

"Yeah! Nate has settled down and got married. I work for him, but sometimes-" You looked up at Sully, proud as you'll ever be. "I get a taste of what's going on here."

"So, he's more like 'retired'," Sully finished your sentence for you.

"Well, then he might as well be dead, right?"

You turned around to see who spoke to you guys. A gentleman, a little taller than you, with a white tux joined your group. You remembered him from somewhere, but you forgot.

"Victor Sullivan!" the man said with a smile. "How the hell are you?"

Sully shook his hand. "Rafe."

Then you knew and you couldn't believe you actually got the chance to meet him.

"Rafe Adler," you whispered.

Rafe must have heard you, because he moved his attention. He slightly moved closer to you as well.

"From the famous Adler family. The big box scion," you said.

He studied you from head to toe and this time you didn't feel comfortable. He didn't look at you the way Sam did. He almost looked like you were something he could buy at the auction as well. He gently grabbed your hand and kissed on top of it.

"Always nice to meet someone who's knows their rich and famous. Are you a fan miss…?" he asked you while you gently took your hand back.  
"(Y/N)," you said. You regretted that you started talking about him. "I read about you yeah."

You looked at Sully, worried that you might be at the wrong place at the wrong time. He just winked at you. Stupid poker face.

"Well, how long has it been? Twelve years?" Rafe asked Sully.

You were glad the attention was off you again. You looked around if you saw Sam, but still no luck. What the hell was he doing? Or he was great at hiding in big groups of people or-

"In a few moments we'll begin bidding on our next item. An inlaid wooden crucifix from the Trott Estate."

The auction was about to start and you felt ready to go. You were glad Sully felt the same way.

"Well, I know when I'm a third wheel," Sully said. "You two kids have fun tonight."

You were starting to walk away when Rafe got hold of Sully his arm.

"Just hold on, Sully," he said and looked suspicious.

You were a little afraid Rafe saw through this whole plan. You looked at Nadine for help, but she moved her hand in a gesture that it was going to be fine. Like hell it was!

"How'd you find out about it?" Rafe asked.

Sully chuckled. "It? Now what 'it' is that, Rafe?"

Rafe looked like he was looking for trouble. You were slowly walking backwards, away from the scene.

"Now you stay here missy," Rafe said. "Don't wanna miss the fun right?"

You were not okay, but felt proud of yourself for keeping a straight face. Why was Sullivan so good in hiding his true emotions?

"Now, now. Nadine, I think your partner here has had too many bloody mary's-"

Suddenly Rafe threw Sully's drink out of his hand and it startled you. Shit. This guy was no good. Why did he look so good in the paper?

"Psst. Hey. You okay?"

Where did that come from? Then you realized it came from inside your ear. Sam. Thank god he was watching over this.

"Just nod or shake your head."

You nodded, but in a way that only he would notice.

"Good. Walking past you now. Don't panic."

You nodded again and then you felt his fingers touch you a little bit on your back. He touched the part of your dress where there was an opening, which almost gave you goose bumps. Flirt. Then again, you felt a little bit better with him watching over you. Nadine, Rafe and Sully didn't notice him sneaking past you guys.

Rafe started to make a scene and Nadine ended it quickly. Sully said goodbye to the two of them, crossed your arm and walked you over closer to the auctioneer.

While Sully was trying to get hold of Nate, you saw Sam in his waiter uniform. He was out of his tux, but still looked handsome. He sure was the actor too. You were thinking about what Sully said to you before you got interrupted by Nadine. What did he talk about? What did Sam asked or say about you? Then you noticed people were starting to bid on the cross. You pulled Sully at his sleeve.

"It's time for the bidding!" you whispered. "Are you ready?"

He sighed. "Screw it." and started.

What felt like an awful long time, the waiting was coming to an end when you heard Nate say:

"All right boys and girl. I'm at the switch. You ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Sam answered. "(Y/N)?"

"Ready when you are," you said and then looked at Sully, who was still trying to outbid Rafe.

"Sully?"

Sully smiled at you. "Just a sec."

He put the bid sign up in the air again. The lady who was leading the auction was happy and counted two hundred and ten thousand euros. You looked at Rafe to see what he was going to do when suddenly you two made eye contact. He smirked, put the bid sign up in the air and said:

"Five hundred thousand! Let's get this show on the road here."

Rafe was checking your response. You acted like you were impressed just so that he didn't think you would be trouble, but from the inside you felt awful.

Apparently the auctioneer was really impressed and thanked him for his generous offer. She asked Sully if he would wish to bid again which he didn't. Rafe felt relieved.

"Had me worried there for a little bit, Victor. Thought I might have to kill you."

The whole room started laughing. Rafe winked at you. You felt so annoyed that you wanted to say something about it, but someone was quicker.

"Okay, I'm tired of this asshole's bullshit." Sam.

"Agreed," you said.

Sully laughed. "Okay, let's ruin this asshole's evening."

You watched Sam as he was still standing next to the pedestal. Then after a few seconds the power got cut and you were standing in the dark. You tried to follow Sully, but you couldn't see him anymore.

"Guys?" you whispered.

Then you felt a strong arm around your waist.

"Time to get home before the clock strikes 12."

Thank god it was Sam and together you ran out of the main hall just in time before the backup power came on.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chaos averted, Sam and you ran through the many corridors of the Rossi Estate._

"Sam, tell me you got the cross," Nate said through the earpiece.  
"I got Saint Dismas right here, wanna say hi?" Sam said with a smirk.  
You chuckled a bit, hearing Sam's confidence.  
"Excellent. Is (Y/N) with you?" Sully asked.  
"The princess's safe and sound with me Victor. Don't worry about that."  
"Well, we've really kicked the hornet's nest down here. Ballroom's locked down, security scrambling."

You heard a lot of footsteps far away behind you and you two started running faster.

"You can say that," you said. "Where's our getaway?"  
"Come to the driveway out front… just follow the spotlights. I'll bring the car around."  
"You got it," Sam said and he opened a door that lead to another corridor.  
"We have to get downstairs some how," he mumbled through his many taken breaths.  
You felt your feet were starting to hurt and that blisters were cut open. You had to stop. You pulled at Sam his sleeve to get his attention.  
"Sam, I don't want to be a pain in the ass right now, but Cinderella needs to leave her shoes behind."  
"Are you for real?!" he exclaimed. "We have the cross, we have to get moving-"  
"By the time we are down there you have to carry me to Sully's car!"  
"Well, when you put it that way-"  
"SAM!"

Sam sighed, slowed his pace and moved you behind a wall near a set of stairs. He closed his eyes to listen if he heard any guards coming. Then he nodded that you could safely look at your damaged feet. You sat down on the cold marble floor and kicked your heels off. Your feet were unbearable to look at. Two blisters on both heels and the skin at your toes looked red.

"Shit," you whispered. "I have to dump these for real."

Sam didn't listen to you however. He was focused on the St Dismas Cross that he got out of his pocket. You couldn't deny his happy face. Lady Luck was finally with him. You were surprised he wasn't out of breath when you guys ran like mad men. You wanted to stand up, but the pain in your feet let you stagger a bit and you held on to Sam's arm. Together you fell down on your knees. He put the cross back just in time and got hold of your shoulders.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked and looked down.  
"Okay you were right. Those don't look too good. Can you walk?"

You were not feeling well and one of your blisters was bleeding, but you didn't want Sam to notice that. Seeing him being annoyed about you wasn't what you wanted. You were on an adventure. You were finally going to reach your goal. You were fighting like crazy to be the treasure hunter of the future. You had to keep going. You took a deep breath, stood up and looked straight into Sam his worried eyes.

"Ready when you are," you said.

"You sure?"

You didn't have time to answer that. The door behind you busted open and three guards entered the corridor. Sam took your hand and together you ran down the stairs. You didn't care that you had to run barefoot. It felt cold and vulnerable, but better then before you took your heels off.

At the end of the stairs two guards appeared from behind a wall and shot at you two.

"Get down!" Sam exclaimed and quickly you two hid behind a concrete block.

"Damn it, I need a gun," Sam said.  
You peeked around to see how many guards there were in the area.  
"I'm counting one on your left and two on my right," you said.  
"Maybe you can counter the one on your side with-"

Then one of the guards on your side reached you and got hold of your arms.

"Shit let me go!" you yelled.

You didn't want to wait for Sam to help you out, so with one foot you stomped him and when your arms were freed you hit him in the face. You had a fierce uppercut and he definitely felt that when he fell unconscious on the floor.

"Don't mess with me idiota," you said with a deep voice and turned around.

Sam was looking at you with his mouth wide open. You didn't want to explain what just happened, so you took the guard his gun and passed it over to him.

"Sam! Behind you!" you yelled.

Just in time he moved his body to the guard who wanted to take him down and shot him in the face. You had to admit; this was the first time you actually saw someone gets shot. The blood spatters on the white marble floor were proof of his death.

Sam ran further on his side, while you were hiding behind the concrete block again. The second guard on your side was checking up on his buddy, but you didn't want him to do that forever. With a lot of adrenaline and confidence you sneaked upon him, but your dress got stuck on a piece of metal from a damaged table. You tripped and cursed your outfit for being too classy. You hid just in time before he saw you.

"Lei è qui da qualche parte," you heard him say.

You knew he was searching for you so you had little time. You tried to rip your dress, but the fabric was really stuck.

"Dio mio, Raymond e fuori!" (Oh my god, Raymond is out!)  
You heard footsteps coming your way. You pulled with all your strength.  
"Che cagna! Trovala!" (That bitch! Find her!)  
Shit. SHIT! NO!  
"Not before I find you."

You heard a loud bang behind you and the walls were suddenly covered in blood. Your back felt wet of sweat and gore, your ears were ringing like crazy and your confidence melted away like snow. This was not how you wanted to impress Sam. You were stunned. You didn't notice Sam was ripping your dress apart so you were free. You now only had one leg covered in fabric.

"You alright?" he asked.

Instead of answering him you looked into his eyes. You swallowed your fear, changed your scared facial expression into a straight one and nodded slowly. He nodded too, but you felt he was suspicious.

"We have to keep moving," he said.  
He pulled you up and together you ran further through the corridor. With a blurry sight you followed him. You noticed his and your hands were stained in red. You weren't afraid of blood. You just never experienced an almost death before. It was like you saw your life flashing before your eyes. Luckily you didn't have enough time to see the shot-in-cold-blood bodies.

"All right, I'm at the car," Sully said through your earpiece. "Where the hell are you guys?"

"Just met your friend Nadine Ross," Nate answered. "She's lovely."  
Somehow you were curious of him defining the word 'lovely'.

"Yeah, well it's total chaos out here!" Sully answered.  
"Nathan, where you at?" Sam asked.  
"Good question, you?" Nate said.  
Sam opened a door to the outside. The cold wind was somehow refreshing and you felt a little less scared. You looked around where you were. The big windows of the ballroom of the estate were high above you and you saw a couple of balconies.

"Outside by the ballroom," Sam answered while he pulled you away from sightseeing. "Look for this round sign thing, it's on the way."

"Round sign thing, got it," Nate said.  
"Good news is I got a gun. See you soon."  
Sam and you hid behind a balcony, waiting for Nate to show up.

You were catching your breath and figuring out what just happened.  
"Hey, Y/N," Sam whispered. "No offense, but I know a liar when I see it."  
You faced him, surprised.  
"What do you mean?" you asked innocently.

"I have to admit that you have the right skills to fight, but-" He touched your blood stained hand. "You never actually killed somebody. Am I right?"

His touch was warm, but rough. His huge hand almost covered yours. You frowned and didn't want to talk about that, so you gently put his hand away.

"We don't have time for this," you said. "Nate can arrive at any moment and like you said; we have to keep moving."  
He chuckled. "Looks like the princess doesn't wanna talk about her secrets huh?"  
"Sam I'm serious. This is something I rather talk about somewhere-"  
"Private?" He raised his eyebrows.  
"Shut up."  
You gave him a quick glare. He held on to his smirk for a second, but then  
looked at you again with those worried eyes. You thought about if you wanted to play this heroine roll forever.  
"Please just-" you whispered.

Then you heard a loud noise of something being broken apart. Sam turned around and saw his brother hanging at the round sign thing he mentioned. That got the attention of some guards outside and they started shooting at him.  
Sam got something out of his pocket and gave it to you. It was a switchblade.

"In case the fists don't work," he said, winked at you and climbed up the rooftop.  
"Wait what?!" you exclaimed and then Sam started shooting at the guards. "Just go to Sullivan okay? We'll catch up!"

You didn't want to leave the brothers, but they would probably be better off without you. You checked the area you were in for an escape route. There were a set of stairs and when you looked down, you could see a pathway to the garden. You didn't waste any time and ran down the stairs. You hid behind a few bushes just to let the guards pass you and then ran like a maniac to the parking lot. You saw Sully his car and tried to get his attention by waving, but he didn't seem to see you. Suddenly you were grabbed from behind and you tried to use your fists and kicks, but this time it didn't work. You were pushed against the cold, stone floor and the guard pointed his gun at your head. He had a devilish smile on his face.

"Perche cosi serio, mia principessa?" he asked you and got closer.

You remembered the switchblade Sam gave you and you were holding onto it like it was your last resort. You didn't want to do this, but you had to. You didn't want to get caught. Suddenly you heard guards shooting and the voices of Nathan and Sam who were cursing, because of empty gun clips. The guard who was kneeling beside you got distracted.

You chuckled nervously and said: "Idiota."

You closed your eyes and reached out with the blade right through his stomach. He yelled and almost kicked you in the face, but you dodged it and put the sharp end near his heart. You didn't want to see how much blood he lost and how much was covering your face, so you stood up and ran over to the brothers. On your left you heard a car driving through a wall of stone and stopped with screeching brakes. You looked over to see Sully, honking like a mad man.

"Someone call for a limo?" he exclaimed.

You got up from behind your hiding spot and ran with all your strength to the car. The brothers were right behind you. The three of you got in, Sully stepped on the gas and with a lot of speed you guys drove away.

Back at the hotel you were glad you could finally take care of yourself, but not before you guys examined the stolen cross. You sat around a round table in the men's room with an alcoholic beverage for each of you. Sam got hold of a hammer and pointed it at the cross. He chuckled.

"I hope I don't go to hell for this," he said.

Nate, Sully and you shared a look while Sam smashed the artefact open. His happy face turned into a disappointed frown.

"Shit, it's empty."

"What?!" Nate exclaimed, but before he could take his hands on it Sam shook the cross and out fell a piece of paper.

"Ah, you're such an asshole," Nate said while Sully and Sam seemed to see the fun of it.

You were just watching them, enjoying the conversation. They talked about the clues on the paper and you were thinking about today. The adventure has started. You fought like crazy, your body felt like a punching bag and … you killed somebody. Or at least thought that you did.

"I think that's a good part for (Y/N)," Sully said.  
Hearing your name, so deeply in thought, startled you.

"Sorry what?" you said while looking at the table where there was a map of Scotland.

Sully laughed. "Damn it kid, focus! We were talking about the cathedral in Scotland and the graveyard next to it. Rafe is there with his crew, so we thought maybe you could distract him."

"Only if you really want to," Nate said while giving Sully a look.  
You chuckled.  
"Why? Because I'm so innocent in Rafe's eyes?" you asked.  
"Actually, yeah that's exactly it," Sam said. "The way he was looking at you says it all. He thinks you're no trouble to him and his plans of finding the treasure of Henry Avery."

You frowned. "Should I take that as a compliment?"  
Sam smiled a little. "Sort of."  
You blushed.  
"Anyway, do you want to do it?" Nate asked while pushing his brother a little.  
"It could really help us examining the graveyard without a big target on our backs."  
You thought about it and then suddenly you got an idea.  
"Rafe knows I'm a big fan of his work or so I've told him. It would be easy to get in by just saying that I want to know more about what he's working on. Right?"

"Yeah, that could work, but how are you going to tell Rafe that you figured out that he's working on something in Scotland?" Sam asked.

You laughed. "The internet silly. There's this article that says that he bought the Saint Dismas cathedral. I could print it out as evidence even."

Sully padded your shoulder.

"Good work kid," he said and then looked at Nate who was kind of playing with his flip phone.

"Shouldn't you tell Elena about that we made progress?"

You looked up. By the sound of hearing her name let you smile a little. She has been your friend since you met Nate at Jameson Marine. She's really great to talk too. By seeing Nathan's facial expression though…

"Oh my god Nate," you whispered. "You didn't tell her?"

Nate looked guilty, but tried to defend himself. You didn't really want to listen so you stood up from your seat.

"I guess the plans have been made and we are going to Scotland tomorrow?" you asked.  
Sully nodded.

"Great."

You walked out of the room while Nate yelled your name a few times, but you ignored it and closed the door tight.

In your own room you checked yourself in the mirror. The beautiful dress was torn apart and now you definitely looked like Cinderella who's spell had been broken. You had some bruises on your leg and a deep cut on your right arm, but you felt fine. You saw yourself more and more as a treasure hunter each day. You smiled at your mirror image, turned around and walked into the bathroom to take a shower.

While the water was cooling your damaged and heating body, you thought about Elena. Why didn't Nate tell her? Why did he keep secrets from the woman he absolutely loved to the bone? You closed your eyes and put your head underneath the shower head. Why did you keep secrets from Sam? Why didn't you tell him you never killed somebody before or held a gun even? Were you afraid he didn't like you for what you were? You sighed, turned the shower off and stepped out. Walking with only a towel around you, you heard a knock. You walked to the front door. "Who is it?" you asked.

"It's me. Can we talk for a minute?"

Sam.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – A Nice Cold Welcome**

* * *

"Sam, can you give me a second?" you said while running towards your clothes. "I just came out of the shower."

"Sure, I'll wait here," he said.

You were surprised he didn't come up with a nude joke. This must be serious. You quickly changed in a white t-shirt and jeans and ran back to the door to open it.

Sam was standing against the wall in the hallway with his arms crossed. He was wearing his jacket for some reason.

"Hey," you greeted him with a smile.

He smiled back, but only for a little.

"Come in."

"Actually, do you mind if we go outside for a minute?" he asked.

You raised your eyebrows and then you noticed his trembling hands and a cigarette between his fingers. You nodded and followed him.

It was a beautiful night. There were so many stars in the sky. You couldn't believe how bright they were. You got out of your thoughts when you heard Sam's lighter. He was standing against the brick wall of the hotel. You turned around and walked towards him. Did he smile just now?

"You okay?" you asked.

He nodded. He noticed you were staring at his lit cigarette for a long time. He sighed.

"Sorry, I just really need one."

"You wanna talk about it?"

He shook his head. "Another time."

The silence that came after was calming, but after a while you were wondering why you were here with him.

"So, why am I here again?" you asked.

He let the ashes from his cigarette fell on the ground.

"You know why," he answered.

"If it's about Elena-"

"No, not that."

He looked down at you with a smirk. Then you knew what he meant and sighed. You kind of promised you would talk to him about it.

"Fine, but can we do that after you got your smoke of the day? It kind of annoys me."

He frowned. You crossed your arms.

"What? Smoking is bad you know."

"Yeah thanks for the warning, Nathan."

You raised your eyebrows, but then chuckled a little. Instead of moving closer to the wall you sat down on a little field of grass. It was wet from dew, but you didn't care.

A minute later Sam came over and sat next to you.

"Now, tell me hotshot," he said. "What's the problem?"

You took a deep breath and looked up at the sky.

"When I was a kid, I dreamt about being a treasure hunter. An adventurer. Someone who would find wonderful artifacts and share it with the whole world."

Your toes were playing with a blade of grass.

"But, my teacher never believed that I could actually make it to be one. My classmates bullied me by putting pirate stickers on my locker, hitting me with branches. School didn't do anything to stop it. They thought I was nuts."

You chuckled a bit and sighed.

"One day I had enough of it and decided to join a martial arts club. It worked so well in the beginning and I got a lot of belts. When I was going to get my black one however…"

You were quiet all of sudden. It occurred to you that you were not sure if you should talk about this with him. You closed your eyes and tears welled up.

"Did someone in your class get beat up?" Sam asked.

You looked up at him, surprised that he guessed it right.

"One of the boys failed in getting his final belt. He was mad as hell. He didn't accept it, wanted to prove that he was a great fighter and just started to kick-"

You fell quiet again for a moment.

"My classmate was dangerously hurt. He… died a week later in the hospital. His lungs didn't function well enough."

"Damn Y/N," he said. "I'm sorry I asked."

"No it's okay. It had to come out sooner or later."

You two were quiet again while looking at the stars. You suddenly felt Sam's hand on yours. The rough texture and the warmth felt safe.

"I didn't know what to do. I didn't come out of my room for a few days. Every time-"

Your voice started to crack.

"Every god damn time I saw him. His face light purple, his body unmoved, his mother crying for help and me just standing there like a helpless little girl."

"Y/N."

"But I should now! I'm 32, got my fighting skills under control and still I'm afraid of death! I still see his face sometimes when I've got a nightmare. Why didn't I try and stop it?!"

"Y/N!"

Sam had grabbed your hands.

"WHAT?!" you yelled and suddenly you were shocked by how that came out.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

Instead of getting mad at you he pulled you close. He whispered soothing words in your ear and padded you on your back. You wanted to cry. You really wanted to, but couldn't. You needed to be strong. Instead you squeezed his hand a little and put your head on his chest. His heartbeat was comforting and he smelled like smoke and deodorant that you couldn't describe the smell off, but it was reassuring.

Then you realized the sudden intimidation between you two. You gently pulled your head away and looked in his eyes. Was this okay? You guys were starting to get close right? You were almost 13 years apart, but still…

Instead of kissing him on the cheek, what came up in your mind, you smiled brightly.

"Thank you Sam," you whispered. "Was there something on your mind?"

Together you stood up, still holding hands. There was that thing again. With him withholding something. He didn't like to be himself too much huh?

Instead he smirked. "Now I know your secret."

"Haha mister Drake," you said and pushed him a little. Of course he didn't move an inch.

Together you said your goodbyes and walked back to your rooms.

* * *

"You know, for the cold and snowy weather, Scotland is really beautiful," you said while walking together with the brothers on a snowy hill.

It was the day after Sam and you had your first close talk. You were trying to get your attention to your part of the plan, but somehow the tall and handsome guy couldn't get out of your head. He wanted to tell you something, but he held in. You needed to figure out why.

Nate was looking at his map while Sam moved forward.

"Well, Rafe's really going all in, isn't he?" he said.

Nathan pulled his binoculars out of his pocket.

"Well, they're all concentrated on the cathedral…" he said while looking threw them.

"That's good," you said, feeling a little bit nervous.

You were dressed in nice warm clothes with a thick jacket and winter boots. Sam looked at you and nudged you a little.

"Come on girl, you've got this," he said. "Like you said. Innocence is the key with this guy and believe me-"

He scanned you over and you felt a little awkward.

"If he doesn't see that, he's blind as hell."

"Thanks Sam, that's comforting," you said, smiling a little.

"How are your feet doing by the way? I'm surprised you didn't show up with open toed wide shoes."

You chuckled. "Or glass slippers?"

He chuckled too. "Hey, you said it."

"With some anti-septic and bandages everything can be fixed."

"Well, almost everything…" With that answer you looked a little bit confused.

"Y/N, you brought a copy of Rafe's article?" Nathan asked.

You pulled it out of your pockets and waved with it. He nodded.

"Good, then I hope we have the graveyard all to ourselves for most of the time."

"Piece of cake," you said and started to walk down the hill to the cathedral.

"Wait," Sam said and ran after you.

"Do you still have that switchblade I gave you?"

You did, but didn't want to show him that you hid it under your bra, so you just nodded.

"Hold on to it, if… you know…"

He put his hand behind his neck awkwardly. Did he just blush? An explosion you heard behind you got you back on track. You winced.

"I guess that's my cue?" you said confusingly. Sam chuckled.

"We meet up later at Sully's plane okay?"

"You got it. Now let me go okay? Otherwise Nate will get impatient."

You hid yourself behind a tree to check out the area you were in. You were close to the cathedral and you saw a few Shoreline men guarding the entrance. They had guns, which you were not too happy with, but you had to deal with it. You heard and felt another explosion close by. Luckily they were still at the cathedral and not at the graveyard. Your heart hammered in your chest, and it took all you had to keep your breaths soft and steady.

You took a deep breath, got the copy of Rafe's article out of your pocket and walked to the entrance. You tried to be as confident as possible, but inside you still felt nervous. One man spotted you and pointed his gun right at you.

"Hey you!" he yelled. "State your business!"

You held your hands up, together with the piece of paper.

"My name is Y/N L/N," you said. "I came here to see mister Adler. Is he around?"

The man shared a look with his colleague. He then walked forward and grabbed the piece of paper out of your hand. He studied it and then looked at you.

"What are you?" he asked. "A journalist?"

You sighed.

"A fan," you answered with a smile. "We've met before at the Rossi Estate, gentlemen. Now, would you mind and show me where he is?"

The men nodded, still held you at gunpoint and let you into the cathedral.

Around you, men were speaking African and putting dynamite in duffel bags. When they saw you, some of them were kind enough to wave and smile. You friendly smiled back, but you were still undercover. You didn't want anyone to notice anything.

"Wait here," one of the guards said and put you against a wall, together with the other guard who still pointed his gun at you.

"Excuse me, but your gun is making me nervous," you said. "I'm not here to hurt anyone you know."

He looked you over and chuckled. "You're right, you sure don't look like trouble," he said. "But the boss told me not to take any chances."

You frowned disappointed.

"Sorry miss."

Then suddenly the guard came back with Nadine on his side. She looked like she was going to war.

"Miss L/N," Nadine said confusingly and shook your hand. She then put up her hand to let the guards know that the situation was okay and they went their separate ways.

"What brings you here?" she asked. "Is Sullivan with you?"

You shook your head.

"He got what he came for," you said. "He didn't need me anymore."

"I see, so you're here on your own?"

She waved with the piece of paper. You nodded and she chuckled.

"I always thought you were a curious one."

"I'm always curious when it comes to treasures. So can I see him or is he busy?"

She made a gesture to follow her and you walked further into the cathedral. You hoped the Drake brothers found what they were looking for.

You arrived at a closed off room. Nadine knocked on the door twice and then walked in. Rafe was standing at a table, studying the maps of the cathedral that were spread out all over it.

"Rafe, there's someone here to meet you," Nadine said and pushed you forward. You frowned and looked at her why she did that, but she just shrugged and smiled.

"Can it wait?" he said. "We're really busy right now and why are you not at-"

He turned around and saw you. You waved a little. His facial expression turned surprisingly into a happy one.

"Well, well miss L/N. What a surprise to see you here."

He walked over to you, gently grabbed your hand and again kissed it on the top. You had to act it out, so you pretended to be flattered.

"It's so nice to finally see the world famous Rafe Adler in action!" you exclaimed.

Confused he took the piece of paper from your hand. He smiled when he saw it was about him.

"So you weren't lying when you said you were a fan huh?" he said while touching your shoulder a bit.

"Of course not!" you exclaimed. "Why would I?"

Rafe send Nadine on her way and then when you two were alone, the distraction started.

After a while you started to feel awkward when Rafe was trying to get personal with you. You didn't want to tell him anything about you so you kind of avoided that part.

"Ah come on Y/N," he said while trying to stroke your leg.  
"You know everything about me, now I want to know more about you. Why do you want to be a treasure hunter?"

You knew you had to keep acting like everything's fine, but you did not want to have an intimidating conversation with the guy who is definitely the enemy. You decided to distract him with the last thing that popped up in your mind.

"What I want to know is why you hate mister Sullivan so much," you said while putting your hand on his. "You guys were on edge, you in particular. It scared me a little."

He looked you in the eye with suspicion, but also with curiosity.

"It's not only him who's in my way of getting Captain Avery's treasure," he said while letting go of your leg and standing up from the table you two sat on.  
"It's your co-worker as well. Nathan Drake."  
"Nathan? That's absurd and a serious accusation you're making."

He quickly turned around.

"You think my thoughts are absurd?" he exclaimed.

That frightened you a little bit.

"No! Not at all! But Nathan is not-"

He moved closer to you as if he didn't believe you.

"Where is he now? Is he out there?"

He punched the table right next where you were sitting.

"I NEED to know!"

"Please Rafe, you're freaking me out!"

He didn't have time to argue with you any further when Nadine and one of her men entered the room.

"Waited long enough Rafe," she said. "We need to talk."

Rafe sighed, chuckled and patted you a little on your shoulder.

"Forgive me Y/N," he said. "I guess our time's up. It was nice to see you again though."

You jumped off the table.

"You don't need me for your research?" you asked, still on edge.

He shook his head, wrapped an arm around your neck and walked with you to the door.

"It's dangerous and I think it's better if you wait for the results to come in, okay?"

You nodded, disappointed.

"But, we had a nice talk," he said with a smile.

Damn, he was really close.

"Maybe next time we can-"

"Rafe!" Nadine's voice cut his leaning in short.

You sighed with relieve. You put your hand on the door handle when Nadine called your name.

"Can you wait outside for a minute? I found something I need to talk to you about."

Confusingly you said "sure," and you walked out of the room. 

Fifteen minutes later Nadine came out of the room, slowly. She looked serious. You stood up from the stone floor.

"Everything okay?" you asked. "Did you guys find something?"

She started laughing.

"Well, he did not find anything," she said. "Me on the other hand…"

Curious you came closer, but when she took the object out of her backpack you froze.

Shit.

"Looks pretty huh?"

She waved your bloodied heel in front of your face.

"One of my men undercover found this in one of the corridors of the Rossi Estate. Poor girl. She must have been hurt so bad."  
You held a straight face. "Yeah. Terrible."  
"Luckily I remember who the owner was. Rafe was really interested in her existence, so I kept it."  
"And? Was he impressed?"  
She chuckled.  
"No… not yet anyway."

Slowly you walked backwards, but Nadine grinned and came closer.

"I wonder if I found his princess," she said. "Should we check it out?"

In an instant you kicked the heel out of her hand. Unfortunately she was fast, grabbed your boot, pulled it off and kicked you onto the floor. Your foot, covered in bandages, appeared.

"Well, well," she said and put her heavy shoe on your stomach.

"Found her."

Suddenly the two guards who were guarding the entrance appeared behind Nadine and pointed their guns at you.

"Now tell me darling," she said while aiming at your head.

"Where are Nathan and Samuel Drake?"


	6. Chapter 6

_You didn't want to tell her._

Even with a gun pointed at your forehead. Luckily you didn't have to. Two Shorelines guards came over and told Nadine that they found an interesting path under the cathedral. They also heard voices coming from down there. Nadine nodded and instead of shooting you she stretched her arm out.

"Seems like you can keep your mouth shut, for now," she said while you accepted her help to get up.  
The acceptance was quickly withdrawn when one of her bodyguards grabbed you and crossed your arms behind you.

"Don't even think about getting away, sister," he said with a smirk.  
"Knot!" Nadine said and glared at him. "Let's go."

You did not feel well, but you didn't want to let Nadine know. You had a lot of questions, but every little thing you said could make you more vulnerable. You had to climb down a few times to get to the part where a few Shoreline guards were standing with lots and lots of dynamite. The holes that were already made were pretty clear in the solid stonewalls. Nadine was pretty impressed in her men's work. She patted one of them on the shoulder and said something in African. You couldn't make out what they were saying, but he had dynamite in his hands, so it was probably about the next wall they were going to demolish.

Suddenly the guys yelled and Knot pulled you back. The explosion was massive and your ears were ringing, but inside the rubble you saw two familiar men. You felt guilty immediately. Knot pushed you inside the room and Nadine walked in front of us.

"You gentlemen, are very, very noisy," she said. "Guns on the floor. Slowly."

The other bodyguard, from the nametag you read Orca, aimed his gun at Sam and Drake who were caught by surprise. They did what Nadine told them to and put their hands up. When Nathan saw you he frowned and sighed.

"Shit," he whispered.  
Nadine saw his expression and chuckled.  
"Oh don't worry," she said while putting her hand on your shoulder. "She  
didn't say a word. Too bad though, she's quite the talker."

You didn't know if you had to take that as a compliment.

"However, Nate," she said while walking towards the brothers. "I still owe  
you from last time."  
Nathan chuckled.  
"Throwing me out of a window didn't do it for you?"

She frowned, but ignored him further and grabbed her walkie-talkie to contact Rafe. You looked around the room and saw a giant map of Madagascar on the floor. The light from above pointed to a certain area on the island. On your right there was some sort of scale with a big, golden cross and money on it. When you turned your head to the Drake brothers you saw Sam looking at you. He raised his eyebrows a little to check if you were okay. You nodded and tried to move your hands, but Knot held them tight. When Nadine was done talking to Rafe, she walked around the map.

"King's Bay," she said.  
"Yeah, but where in King's Bay?" Sam said. He pointed at the scale. "You'll need that cross over there to figure it out, but, there's only two people that can tell you how to use it."

"Let me guess," Nadine said. "You two."  
"Well, you wanna leave it to Rafe, you're gonna be waiting for a long time," Nathan said.  
Nadine laughed.

"Sorry boys, I'm not here to negotiate." She nudged Orca.  
"Bring me the crucifix."  
While Orca moved to the scale, Knot let go of one of your arms and grabbed his gun. He pointed it at Sam to not let them leave that easy.

"It's not a crucifix," Nate said.  
"What?" Nadine said, bored.  
Sam got your attention when you looked at him again, winked and moved his lips. Watch out?  
"Well, technically a crucifix refers to a cross that-"

Sam and Nathan were backing up a bit. Suddenly it hit you. Nadine also solved it and yelled to Orca to not touch the cross, but it was too late. Orca fell through the floor and suddenly the whole room started to collapse. Knot wasn't paying attention and with your freed hand you grabbed the switchblade from underneath your bra, cut him in his face and kicked his gun out of his hand.

"You bitch!" he yelled and while he tried to get his gun back, you ran over to Sam who was hiding behind a broken pillar.

"Y/N!" he exclaimed. "Are you okay?"  
You smiled. "Still breathing!" you said.

Nadine recovered from falling and yelled at her men to shoot.  
You winced when Knot was aiming your way. Sam grabbed your hand and looked at your feet. He chuckled.

"You know, for a lady, you really hate shoes!"  
"No time to explain," you said. "Yes, I can walk if that's what you're wondering."

He looked curious, because you were talking quickly and serious, but then took cover again when Knot shot your way.

"Then let's get out of here!"

He shot a couple of times as a distraction and then ran over to the other side of the room. You felt that the ground wasn't that stable, so you ran faster.

"Sam! Y/N!" Nate yelled at you guys.  
You turned around and saw Nathan falling down into a huge hole that was created by the many explosions.

"No!" you yelled and tried to get hold of his hand, when suddenly you felt yourself fall down as well. The ground disappeared under your feet and you screamed. Everything went in slow motion, but then Sam took your hand and pulled you up.

"Shit!" you exclaimed. "Thanks!"

Sam nodded and quickly looked down. Nate landed on a big rock and was climbing upwards again.

"Get out of there!" Sam yelled. "I'll cover you!"

He shot some Shoreline men in the head, while you used your switchblade to defend yourself. Knot was still in pain. Apparently the scar on his face burned more than it looked.

Without a warning, Nathan jumped off a huge rock that got destroyed.  
"Run!" he yelled and you turned around to run after Sam.

Outside you didn't know where to go. It started to snow immensely, so you couldn't see a thing. You couldn't see Sam. Nathan got hold of your arm and turned right.

"Less thinking, more doing, adventurer!" he said.

Shoreline guards who were left were still shooting at you two. The rocks and gravel under your bare feet were very uncomfortable and you cursed yourself for leaving your boots with Nadine. Nate shot blindly while you tried to find Sam in the fog. Then all of a sudden you got hit in your left shoulder. You screamed in pain and brought your hand to the flesh wound, but you kept on running.

"Sam!" Nate yelled. "Have you seen Sully's plane yet?"  
"Yes!" Sam answered and pointed at the ocean.  
"We have to use our grappling hook, Nathan!"  
"Sam, take Y/N! She's wounded, badly."

You arrived at the end of the road and looked down. That was a huge drop. You saw Sully's plane though. You were not afraid of heights, but you didn't like to fall for a long time. Without thinking the brothers grabbed their hooks and threw them around a pointy rock.

"You sons of bitches!" you heard Knot yell in the distance.  
"Sam?" you said, afraid he was going to catch you guys any second. "Any day now!"  
He pulled the rope to see if it was stable. Then he saw your shoulder that was bleeding like crazy. You saw his worried face and you tried to be straight. "Later! Sam! GO!"

With your empty hand you held on to the rope. Sam's hand was slightly above yours.

"Let's go!" he said and together you jumped.

In a Tarzan kind of way you swung towards the ocean. Together you let go. The fall felt intense and you closed your eyes to prepare for the impact of the cold liquid. You hit the water on your butt and the saltiness kicked into your open wound. Your shoulder felt like it was on fire and when you opened your eyes, you saw the water turn red. You tried to hold on and swam with your healthy arm, but you felt lightheaded.

"Come on…" you thought.

You needed to be strong. You didn't want to die. Not yet… Your fingers finally felt wind and snow and you gasped for air when you reached the surface. In the background you heard gunshots and a familiar voice, but because of your haziness you couldn't hear nor see who it was. Suddenly someone grabbed your hand and pulled you out of the water. You didn't know you were so close to Sully's plane, but you thanked god on your knees for the sudden rescue. You coughed and were freezing to death when you felt two cold hands on your face.

"S-s-sam?" you stuttered.  
"Sully, get her going!" you heard Nate yell while he closed the door.  
The plane took off and you felt yourself going up. Darkness finally consumed you and you fell on the floor, unconscious.

After a while you woke up to the feeling of turbulence and your head was pounding like crazy. You saw that your body was covered in a blue blanket and there was a towel around your neck. The pillow you were lying on felt surprisingly comfortable though…

"Y/N?" you heard a voice from above. You turned your head upwards to see Sam's worried face.

"You're awake, thank god."

You tried to smile, but your face still felt cold and painful from the snowy weather. Underneath the blanket your hand went to your hurt shoulder. It was bandaged and taken care of. You sighed with relieve.

"Yeah, thank god…" you whispered with a sore throat.  
Then you realized what kind of 'pillow' you were lying on.  
"Oh my god!" you exclaimed and got up quick to see that you were lying on Sam's lap.

You felt your face turn red as a tomato. That wasn't good for your head to stand up so quickly and the dizziness kicked in again. Sam held you in your place.

"Wow, take it easy," he said.  
"I'm sorry!" you said. "I-I didn't know I was-"

He chuckled.  
"Welcome to the adventure's hangover, princess."

You frowned a little, but you couldn't concentrate. It felt like you drank a dozen glasses of wine. You tried to say something again, but he shushed you this time.

"Don't overdo it," he said. "We can joke about it later."  
You pointed at your bandaged shoulder.  
"You're welcome," Sam said, this time more serious.  
You studied his face. It was covered in little scars and one of them looked like it was still bleeding. Instead of being the formal lady you were, you looked up at Sam and then back at his lap. He smiled and nodded that it was okay to put your head back down there. Like you thought, slightly more comfortable.

"How's Y/N?" you heard Nate ask from the cockpit of the plane. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah," Sam said while placing his hand gently on your head. "Her shoulder finally stopped bleeding and she's still good old, same old."

You looked up at Sam's smirk and grinned a little. Nate ignored his jokiness about it though.

"So, that was a close one, huh?" he said instead.  
You heard Sully sigh.  
"They shot up my goddamned plane, Nate!" he said.  
"We're fine, thanks," Sam said while frowning.  
He got a coin out of his pocket and was playing with it. You moved your head sideways and closed your eyes again for a moment.

"How soon can you get us to Madagascar?" Nate suddenly said.  
That got your attention and you looked up at Sam again.  
"Madagascar?" you whispered.  
He nodded and made a gesture to just listen.  
"No treasure, then?" Sully asked.  
"Not yet," Nate answered.  
Sam grabbed the coin with one hand this time. "I don't know what you're talking about, look-"

He gave the coin to Sully.  
"We're rich."  
He chuckled and examined the coin.  
"Jesus… I suppose it's a start. And you think the rest of this is in Madagascar?"

He gave the coin to Nate.

"Well there was a chamber back there with a giant map of Madagascar on the floor, so yeah it's probably there," Nate answered.

"This is beginning to smell a lot like wild goose, kid."

While the men were still talking you felt your eyes close again. This adventure has made you tired and showed them that you were weak. You didn't even know how your feet looked like now, but you did not care for some reason. You did care for the way the men were thinking about you and right now… you had the feeling you had to stop here, before it really went the wrong way.

The next time you opened your eyes, you were in another motel room. You slowly got up and looked around. How did you get here? Did they carry you? Were you that tired? You got out of bed and finally saw your feet clearly. They were more damaged than before and the bandages around your blisters were covered in dirt. Then you realized you were only in a T-shirt and your underwear. The thought of one of the men stripping you was giving you chills. Although, if it was Sam…

You moved yourself to the window and opened one of the curtains. You were not in Scotland anymore. You were on the island Nate was talking about. You felt dead tired and the wound around your shoulder started to itch. Luckily that meant that it started to heal, but you were not happy with yourself.

You thought you were ready for this. Ready for the adventure, for the action. Ready for all the risks that you had to take. But instead here you were, covered in bruises. You looked into the mirror that hang on the wall and almost started to cry. Your reflection was damaged as hell and you knew deep inside that you had to think about what to do next. You couldn't go with them in this state.

A knock on the door got you out of your thoughts and you walked towards it.

"Who is it?" you said.  
"It's Nate, how are you feeling?" he asked.  
"Fine, for the most part. You want to talk?"  
"Actually, we do."  
You grabbed a bathrobe from the bathroom, opened the door and when you saw Nate, you didn't realize Sam was standing right behind him. When they saw you, you saw the pity in their eyes. You sighed.

"I know, I look like shit," you said.

You turned around and went further back in your room. Sam closed the front door. He wanted to say something first, but like always he closed his mouth again. Nate took over.

"Listen, we talked about our next stop and… about you and-"  
You held up your hand. You knew what he was going to say.  
"You want me to take a break, right?"

Nate nodded slowly. You saw Sam in the back, staring at the floor. He looked disappointed and you felt tears welling up again.

"I'm sorry," you said. "I'm sorry that I let you guys down. I'm not the adventurer you are looking for."

"That's not what I said-" Nate answered.  
"Stop!"

Your eyes were swollen and red, but you looked Nate straight in the eye.

"Admit it. I don't have the muscles, the brain or the power to distract someone even. The plan was so simple and I still screwed up…"

"That's not true," Sam said.  
You glanced at him.  
"What?"

"We still got the clues, Y/N. You distracted Rafe for a pretty damn long time and enough to help us out."

Nate chuckled.  
"You're a great actress," he said.  
You blushed a little and were a little bit confused.  
"How do you know that?"  
Sam looked the other way, as if he was embarrassed.  
"We heard you guys talking," he said. "While we were in the catacombs." "Seriously, Y/N," Nate said while patting your shoulder. "You did a great job. I almost believed you were really into that son of a bitch."

You laughed and coughed a little. You still didn't feel well after all.  
"So, I won't have to leave you guys?"  
Nate smiled and shook his head.  
"Why would we? We can't do this without you."  
You smiled back and were relieved you only had to sit this one out.

"I want to save Sam as much as you want to," you blurted out suddenly.  
The brothers looked at you surprised. You meant it. You walked towards Sam and took his hand.

"I promise we will get you out of this mess. Together. As a team."  
You and his eyes met and he studied your face. And there was it. That little sparkle. The fact that you really cared about this man was perfectly clear. His touch made you, once again, feel safe. The question was; why did he affect you this way?

"Just, promise me one thing," you said. "Don't do anything reckless. Come back safe."

Sam didn't answer. It was like he was paralyzed by your stare.  
"You got it," Nate answered for him.  
Sam was caught off guard, coughed and looked at his brother.  
"Yeah, I think it's time to go now," he said. "We will see you tomorrow night okay?"

Sam walked out of the room first, quickly as he could. You looked at Nate, worried that you might have scared him off or something.

"Is he alright?" you asked. "Is he… disappointed in me for not being what he's been looking for?"  
He frowned a bit and sighed.  
"Don't worry," he said.

" _ **I think you're exactly what he's been looking for."**_


	7. Chapter 7

**_So, we're already at chapter 7 and I have to say that I love this kind of writing too much. Also thank you for all your lovely comments, reviews and follows! :D I appreciate that and it motivates me to write more too!_**

 ** _Anyway, njoy!_**

* * *

 _T_ _here it was again._

 _That nightmare.  
You never thought it would be haunting you so soon._

You were standing in the little training area of your martial arts club. Your parents were in the audience, smiling brightly. Your dad held his little camera in both hands and your proud mom was almost crying. It was your turn soon. You got back in your waiting position when you saw him in front of you. He startled you. He was close, too close. His skin light purple, his eyes red and bloody and his voice crackled and damaged. He stared at you and as always started asking: "Why didn't you stop him?"

"I'm sorry," you said while protecting yourself with your hands crossed on your body.  
"I'm so sorry, David. I didn't expect him to attack!"  
Suddenly he moved to the left side of your ear.  
"Why are you so afraid?!" he exclaimed. "Fighters like you shouldn't be afraid!"

"Please, forgive me!" you said while closing your eyes. "I tried to stop him!"

"No! You didn't do a thing! You were standing there like a little bitch!"  
"David, stop it! I wasn't a little-"  
"YES YOU WERE! I thought I could trust you!"  
The voice was louder this time, but started to sound like a robot. This was new. You shut your eyes tighter.

"You CAN trust me!" you yelled. "Please, this is not what I wanted…"  
"You just wanted to let me die, you little princess."

Wait. What? Princess?

"David, I never wanted you to die!" you yelled.  
"But you did."  
That voice wasn't David's. You peeked a little to see David his body changing.

"The question is-"

You opened your eyes and instead of David his lifeless body, Sam stood there. There was a flesh wound on his shoulder, a bloody scratch on his forehead and his eyes were as red as David's.

"Are you going to let me die too?"

Suddenly Sam fell down a huge hole. You screamed and tried to jump after him, but then everything turned to black.

"SAM!" you screamed, pulled up your covers automatically and then you saw where you were. You were back in your motel room.

Your body felt hot and sweaty, but your headache was gone. You felt extremely scared, pulled your legs up and looked down. Why did Sam suddenly appear in your dream? It always ended with David killing or hitting you, but this time… it was as if someone was sending a message from above. Or… you just really cared about Sam and didn't want to lose him.

You looked at your alarm clock that was on a nightstand. It said 5PM. You didn't realize you almost slept the whole day. Slowly you got out of your bed and walked to the bathroom to get a glass of water. Sam, Nathan and Sully could come back any minute now. You better had to change.

After a nice shower, you put on some comfortable clothes and ate a little snack on the balcony. Suddenly someone knocked on the front door.

"Room Service?" you heard.  
"Come in!" you said.  
When you heard the door being opened, you looked at your watch. It was a weird time for room service though.

"Y/N?"

You turned around and immediately froze. That was no cleaning lady.  
Instead Elena stood there on your doorstep with a shocked facial expression.

"Elena, what are you doing here?" you asked.  
She sighed and entered the room further.

You walked to her, slowly. You knew this day was coming eventually. You just didn't realize you would be the one to tell her the bad news. Her husband was a liar.

When Elena saw you and your wounded state, her anger changed to worried and she rushed over to you.

"Oh my god, Y/N!" she said. "Are you alright? What happened?"  
You pointed to your bed and made a gesture to sit down.  
"A lot happened, Elena," you said. "A lot."  
"I can't believe Nathan brought you into this."  
"It was my own choice, believe it or not."

She moved her hand to your damaged shoulder and looked at the bandage. She pulled it off quickly and you flinched a little. Instead of a bloody stain there was now a big scar. With your fingertips you felt the deepness of it.

"Thanks," you whispered. "And, I'm sorry."  
"For what?"  
"What I'm about to tell you, isn't my fault okay?"  
She nodded slowly.  
"I'm not going into a lot of detail. Nathan can tell you that."  
Again she agreed. She took a deep breath and looked you in the eye.

"Tell me what happened."

After the short version of your adventures with the Drake brothers and Sully, Elena stood up quickly. You could hear a crack in her voice.

"I can't believe it."  
You sighed.  
"That's only half of it," you said.  
She turned around and held my hands.  
"Promise me you'll think about stopping this madness."  
You were surprised to hear that.  
"What? Quitting this adventure? No way, Elena…"  
"But look at you! Look at the state you're in right now! Remember when I was in terrible danger when a grenade almost hit me? I could've died!"  
"I know, but this is what I dreamed about my whole life!"  
She sighed, looked down and let my hands go.  
"You're one of my dearest and closest friends, Y/N," she said.  
"Same," I answered. "But, I'm alive okay? I sat this one out for my own health."  
"Then you should think about sitting this one out, forever."

You looked up, frowning and totally disagreed with her, but you kept quiet when she pointed up her finger.

"I hear something," she said suddenly.

You listened carefully and indeed heard something too. A car and a motorcycle were driving up the parking lot of the motel. You stood up and started walking towards the front door when Elena touched your shoulder.

"Let me do this, please," she said. "I have to talk to him."

"I know, but I don't want you to do it alone!" you said. "We're friends remember?"

She made you turn around and smiled.

"You're not at fault here, okay? Nathan is the one who deserves to be punished."

"I-I know, just-"  
"Just nothing, Y/N. I've got this."

And with those words she left the room.

It took a while before you heard something from the other room. Sam, Nathan and Sully definitely came back, because you heard their voices when Elena went inside already. You were worried you told too much, that Nathan would be mad at you for telling the truth. You were standing in front of your window, looking at the sky. The stars were brighter than in Italy and it calmed you a little bit.

Then you heard a door slam. You ran to the front door and peeked outside. You saw Elena with her hands on her face and Sully who came after her. That didn't go well.

You wanted to close the door when suddenly you heard the door next to you open again. You thought Nate would ran after her, but instead Sam stood there. He sighed deeply, stood against the wall and lit up a cigarette between his fingers. You decided to go outside too, even that he was distant. You stood next to your door, a few feet apart from him.

"Hey," you said.

He definitely had seen you before, otherwise he wouldn't act so hardened. His face lit up a bit though. He nodded at you as his way of greeting and looked at Sully and Elena, who were walking further away from the motel. You decided to play innocent.

"What happened?" you asked.  
"You mean before or after Nate's confession to his wife?" he said.  
You didn't want to answer that and felt guilty, so you just crossed your arms.

"Elena found out," he said. "It was horrible to watch actually."  
"I can imagine."

The silence between you two was usually comfortable and calm, but right now it was awkward. It made you feel insecure and rejected. Maybe he wasn't interested in you after all.

"Are you okay?" you asked him.  
He nodded with the cigarette between his lips, but didn't ask back.

"I feel better by the way, thanks for asking," you said sarcastically.

You saw him looking at you from the corner of your eye, but he didn't move or say anything. You tried to communicate once again.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" you asked.  
"We found Libertalia," he said.  
You saw that he wanted to tell you more with a lot of enthusiasm, but why did he refuse himself to do that?

"One step closer to the treasure," you said.  
"Yep."

Seriously?! That cold? The insecurity made place for anger. You felt your blood rise to your face, heating it up. You made a fist and hit the wall as hard as you could. You didn't care that you got hurt.

"Alright, what the hell did I do?!" you snapped.  
That caught him off guard.  
"Excuse me?" he asked.  
"You know what I'm talking about, Sam. Last night, you just walked away out of the blue and now this freaking bold attitude!"

Silence.

"Am I the third wheel? Is that it? Or am I just one of your one night stands who you will ditch tomorrow while finding the treasure?"  
This time he frowned, turned his hands into fists and he threw his cigarette on the ground.

"What did you just say?" he said with a deep and frightening voice, still not looking at you.

"You heard me, mister Drake," you said.  
You couldn't take it. You thought you liked this man, but instead you were being treated like a piece of trash.

"I thought we were a team, but it looks like that what you only care about is a cold drink, a warm body and captain Avery's fortune."  
"Y/N-"  
"I'm going to pack my bags. This was a huge mistake."

You turned around and touched the doorknob, but not before Sam grabbed your arm and made you face him.

"What the hell," he whispered and before you knew what was going on he pressed his lips gently on yours.

The door was half open when you guys entered your room. He was testing how you would react, but to be honest; you were clueless. He pulled away for a moment and then kissed you again, with more passion this time. His lips moved against yours as your eyes fluttered closed. Your body heated up with every touch of his fingers on the sides of your face. You started to kiss him back, standing on your toes to hold him closely. He managed to see your height was going to be a problem and he lifted you up. You crossed your legs around his waist and kissed him, more deeply. It was like you both were waiting for this moment for too long. He was gentle with his touch and you liked it that way, but you didn't expect it from the flirty playboy. During your embrace he stopped for a moment to catch his breath.

"My princess," he whispered.

Your cheeks were burning and you couldn't believe he just said that. The emotions of your nightmare and everything that was stuck in you decided to come out.

"So, not just a one night stand then?" you whispered with a trembled voice.  
He chuckled and held you tighter.  
"Oh Y/N, what goes on in that little mind of yours?"

Your tears were like a waterfall and when you hugged him, you saw his back slowly turn wet. He definitely felt that. The kissing became more heated. He tasted like nicotine and usually you would've make a big issue out of it, but right now you didn't care.

"Damn, Y/N," he said. "You are one of a kind."

His hands moved down, touching every inch of your body until he moved back upwards and stopped at the huge scar on your shoulder.

"Does it still hurt?" he whispered.

You shook your head. When you got your fingers under his shirt, you felt three stumps on his stomach. You stopped, but he thought it was you asking for permission to take his shirt off. You went with it and just nodded.

After your make out session, you guys ended up in your bed, talking all night. You lay down your head on his chest, his arm held you close and his hand was stroking your hair. You trailed your fingertips on his exposed chest while listening to Sam telling you about what happened today.

"So, we've found Libertalia," he said. "But, you already knew that."  
He was slightly embarrassed.  
"Forgive me for the way I told you."  
You smiled brightly, sat up a bit to look at him completely.

"Oh my god, Sam!" you exclaimed. "That's amazing! I can't believe you guys still managed to find the right clues!"

He chuckled.

"Well, we almost fell down with our car in a ravine, because of my brother's sloppy driving skills,"

At that point you laughed a little.

"We were almost caught by Rafe and his Shoreline friends, but of course we kicked their ass."  
"How was the volcano? Was it as beautiful as the picture you showed me in the brochure?"  
"Even more beautiful."

When he said that, he glanced up at you. Again there was the pity and worry in his eyes.

"I wish you could've seen it for yourself," he whispered.

You nodded understandably. You winced a little when you felt his touch on your shoulder, his fingers following the line of the scar. You followed them with your eyes.

"Well, I think we can say that you're now officially an adventurer."  
You chuckled.  
"An adventurer," you copied him sarcastically. "Not a pirate?"  
He laughed.  
"No, no. That part is for Nate and me. It suits us better."  
You raised your eyebrows and a little smirk appeared on your face.  
"Oh really now?"  
"Yeah, with parrots and hooks and stuff. You're more the annoying, always complaining princess type."  
"You take that back, mister Drake!"

You couldn't help but feel naughty and tried to grab his hand, but he was one step ahead and grabbed yours. Your body turned itself around and before you knew it, he was lying on top of you. You two were laughing for a while, until he stopped slowly. You tried to ignore the sparks and the weird feeling in your stomach and just looked at him. He closed his eyes for a second.

"Penny for your thoughts?" you whispered.  
His arms went around your waist and he rested his forehead against yours.  
"I'm sorry," he whispered.  
"For what?" you asked confused.  
"For me being a dick last night."  
At this moment you thought about forgiving him easily, but you waited for the explanation.  
"I just-" he stopped for a moment and opened his eyes to look at you. "I can't stop thinking about you and with all the relationships I've had and me going to prison…"

You stared at him blankly and let him talk while you slowly moved your fingers to his stubbles.

"They usually end up like you said, in one night. Though they were all the same kind of character; femme fatale, found in a local bar or pub. And then I met you, the janitor at my brother's job for god's sake."

You blushed a little when he mentioned the day you first met.

"I thought I could handle it, but yesterday when you told me you were going to help me to save my life… I was going insane. I didn't know myself anymore. Even Nathan said I was acting odder than usual today."

Now you were the one who was thinking. You guys met almost a week ago. Maybe this was going too fast and while you felt like you could tell him everything, there was still this part inside of you that didn't trust him fully.

You put your finger on his lips. You've heard enough and smiled.

"I get it, Sam," you said. "Honestly, you were haunting my mind too."  
He chuckled nervously.  
"Haunting I see, well that's comforting. Sam, the friendly ghost!"  
You laughed at his reference and when he smiled, because of your reaction, you looked down.  
"Hey, Y/N?" Sam asked and pulled his fingertip underneath your chin to make you look at him.  
"Are you… able to join us again?"

He looked away from you as if he thought you would say 'no'.

You smiled brightly and embraced him.

"Yes, yes, please!" you said. "Finally! Today was so boring without you guys! I'm ready this time, I promise."

He chuckled.  
"You're ready?"

You nodded with a lot of enthusiasm. The nightmare part where he really haunted you, you kept a secret.

"Good, but just in case we encounter that son of a bitch," he said while leaning in close.

" **I'll be right behind you."**


End file.
